Salinas Animal Services and Animal Friends Rescue Project are continuing the call for owners of Chihuahuas and other small dogs to spay and neuter their pets. Free vouchers are being offered to residents in the 93905 ZIP code but they must be redeemed by July 1. Vouchers are available at www.afrpspaypal.org or come to Salinas Animal Services, 144 Hitchcock Road, Salinas.

Animal Services tells these tales of unspayed, small dogs: Betsey, a 10-pound Papillion-mix dog, ended up at the shelter with a 2-pound malignant, hormone-fueled breast cancer tumor attached to her. Momma, a 2-year-old Chihuahua mix dog needed an emergency C-section to remove the 10 puppies she was carrying, most of which died because they were literally squashed in utero. Both of these situations could have been avoided if these dogs had been spayed.

Betsey's tumor wrapped around her uterus and could not be totally removed. She is on treatment to shrink the tumor but it will only add time to her life.

Momma's plight is far from over, the shelter said in a press release. To date, only four of the puppies survive. All of the puppies were born with extremities that were black and dead from lack of circulation, from being squashed during gestation. Two of the four that still survive will have to have legs amputated if they survive. Momma is still at the vet and unable to care for her puppies. The puppies are in a foster home, needing bottle feeding every three hours, according to the shelter.